Hey there,I just snagged a (very nice) looking frame from the market section, it is a vintage track frame. I will be building it up as a fixie to compliment my road bike and give me a bike i can lock up with less fear.

so first up this is the frame i bought:

thus far i only have the frame (which will arrive next week) so i need all the other bits! but this leaves a lot of questions:

-where is the best place to order fixie parts from?-can anyone recommend a good set of wheels (preferably with a flip flop hub)?-what gearing will be suitable for riding on undulating terrain? my friend rides a 48/16 and likes it, is that a good starting point?-the bike needs long reach brakes, is there any particular brand i should be looking for?-i really like the look of quill stems, is there any reason i shouldnt use one?

p.s. if anyone has any useful parts on hand they are looking to sell PM me

i have been wondering that myself. i think i want good drivetrain components, but maybe a heavy/cheap wheelset to start with? as long as the wheels are good and stiff i dont care about the weight. is this a good strategy? how bad are reid wheels?

Pump peg, big clearances, and guard eyelets! It's not a track frame mate.Horizontal rear fork ends do not a track bike make. Possibly made for 27 inch wheels so the 700c wheelsets you may get will require a longer reach caliper on the braking side of things.

Would look nice as coaster brake roadster style build perhaps. Probably was originally something like that anyway.

Just noticed the rear bridge, and chain stay bridge both have brackets for guards too. Hard to tell but the top tube looks longer than the seat tube by a bit too. Puts it more in the roadster territory than even a path racer.How about coaster brake, honjo fenders, north road bars with leather grips, leather saddle and a porteur rack?

george-bob wrote:-where is the best place to order fixie parts from?-can anyone recommend a good set of wheels (preferably with a flip flop hub)?-what gearing will be suitable for riding on undulating terrain? my friend rides a 48/16 and likes it, is that a good starting point?-the bike needs long reach brakes, is there any particular brand i should be looking for?-i really like the look of quill stems, is there any reason i shouldnt use one?

2) To the best of my knowledge Reid wheels (and the ones from cyclingdeal) are Stars rims on Quando hubs, that's what i have on my favourite singlespeed and it absolutely flies, haven't had any problems at all with them.

3) Gearing depends on the rider but i would recommend 46-16, unless you are going to be sitting on 38kmh+ for extended periods. For me 46-16 gives a really comfortable cadence at 32-34, i've had it up to 60 once but that hurts!

4) I have Tektro long reach brakes, cheap and work perfectly. Tektro brake levers are really comfortable too.

george-bob wrote:-where is the best place to order fixie parts from?-can anyone recommend a good set of wheels (preferably with a flip flop hub)?-what gearing will be suitable for riding on undulating terrain? my friend rides a 48/16 and likes it, is that a good starting point?-the bike needs long reach brakes, is there any particular brand i should be looking for?-i really like the look of quill stems, is there any reason i shouldnt use one?

2) To the best of my knowledge Reid wheels (and the ones from cyclingdeal) are Stars rims on Quando hubs, that's what i have on my favourite singlespeed and it absolutely flies, haven't had any problems at all with them.

3) Gearing depends on the rider but i would recommend 46-16, unless you are going to be sitting on 38kmh+ for extended periods. For me 46-16 gives a really comfortable cadence at 32-34, i've had it up to 60 once but that hurts!

4) I have Tektro long reach brakes, cheap and work perfectly. Tektro brake levers are really comfortable too.

No worries . Forgot to mention as well, if you're using 700c wheels on that frame (which would originally have had either 27" or 28") you should have plenty of room to fit 28mm or maybe 32mm tyres, they are really comfortable and you're pretty well guaranteed never to get a puncture. Make sure you post pics as you progress!

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments- Elizabeth West.

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